Arts-and-Crafts Cottage Bookcase

This classic Limbert design offers a unique twist on a traditional style

Synopsis: With glass doors, pierced panels with integral corbels, and eye-catching details, this bookcase is based on Charles Limbert’s No. 355 Cottage Bookcase. This project will provide a lot of storage space and plenty of authentic Arts and Crafts style.

I like to build in the Arts and Crafts style, and I usually design each piece from the ground up. But once in a great while, I stumble onto a design that cannot be improved. This was the case with Charles P. Limbert’s No. 355 Cottage Bookcase. With its glass doors and pierced panels featuring integral corbels, it’s a true gem among Arts and Crafts designs.

Start with the sides

The No. 355 is like three small bookcases in one. There is a main case behind the glass door, flanked by two side-facing banks of open shelves. These side assemblies are the place to start. I use a pair…

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A kitchen tansu seen in Japan inspired Fox to combine sliding doors and drawers in his tall dresser. The design process starts with a sketch, then evolves to a full-scale mockup and eventually the dresser itself.

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